Hearsay alleging seedless grapes are produced with contraceptive drugs has hit a cultivation center hard in the eastern Chinese city of Yantai of Shandong Province. In a video, a grape seller was heard saying that all grapes without seeds are the result of contraceptive drugs, making the fruit harmful to children and possibly causing sterilization…Full Article: China.org.cn Sept 2016

Key Point

As a result of the false rumor, grape prices in Yantai, Shandong Province, declined from approximately CNY 9 [~US$1.34] per kg to CNY 6 [~US$0.90] per kg.

ChinaAg Comment

In 2014, Shandong Province produced approximately 1.1 million MTs of grapes, or 9% of China’s total output (~12.5 million MTs).